Stick to the facts on guns, crime rates

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, November 28, 2007

It seems that you don't have your facts straight. The United States has one of the lowest crime rates with firearms in comparison to England and Australia, which have a total ban on firearms. Those two countries lead the world in gun violence.

According to the international crime victim's survey by the Dutch Ministries of Justice, in England, Australia and Wales, where you can't own firearms, gun homicides have escalated dramatically. Since Australia's ban on all guns, their crime rate escalated 350 percent.

The statistics that you stated in your letter include justifiable shootings such as police shooting criminals and private citizens legally defending themselves.

The anti-gunners use these statistics incorrectly to increase the number of gun-related homicides reported. According to the London Sun Times, Oct. 13, 2002, Britain's murder rate has risen to its highest level since records began 100 years ago, undermining claims by ministers that they have got violent crime under control by banning firearms.

The survey conducted stated "the study by the guardian showed England, Wales and Australia as the countries where you are most likely to become the victim of a serious crime of homicide."

There are no gun show loopholes. Since 1938, any person engaged in the business of selling firearms must register with the federal government. Since 1968, all such persons are required to retain a federal firearms license. Since 1998, dealers have been required to submit all perspective gun buyers to a national insta-check system, background checks conducted by the FBI or a state agency. This requirement applies to all gun shows and all other locations in the country.